Shuttle-detecting means for looms.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

I. SNOW. SHUTTLE DETEGTING MEANS FOR LOOMS.

APPLIOATI'ON EILED JUNE 22, 1903.

NO MODEL.

ml. Z m t.

Nrrnn STATES Patented September 8, 190S.

A13A-"11s.iwr OFFICE.

ISAAC SNOW, OF LAl/VRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SHUTTLE-DETECTING MEANS FOR LOOIVIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters I-atent No. 738,249, dated SeptemberS, 1903.

Application tiled June 22, 1903.

To @Z whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ISAAC SNOW, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Lawrence, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shuttle-Detecting Means for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to means for detecting improper boxing of the shuttle in a loom, it being well known that in certain types of looms it is highly important for the shuttle to occupy a definite position in the shuttlebox when some other mechanism is to coperate therewith.

In looms of the Northrop type-for instance, such as shown in United States Patent No. 529,940-mechanism is provided toautomatically furnish the running shuttle with a fresh supply of filling when necessary without interrupting the operation of the loom. If the shuttle is not properly positioned to receive the fresh filling-supply, the various parts of the apparatus are strained or broken, and for this reason a shuttle feeler or detector has been provided to determine whether or not the 'shuttle is properly boxed for filling replenishment when it is called for. If the shuttle is in proper position, the replenishing mechanism operates; but if the shuttle is not in proper position it is detected by the feeler, and the operation ofthe replenishing mechanism is prevented, thus avoidingr a smash or injury to the apparatus. The ordinary shuttle-feeler has' a tendency in some cases when the point of the shuttle projects somewhat across the feeler-path to slip off the point,due either to springingof the feeler away from the shuttle or because of some looseness in the bearing on which the feeler rocks. As a result the feeler fails'to prevent filling replenishing notwithstanding the fact that the shuttle is improperly positioned, although, so far as can be detected by the eye, the various parts are properly set or adjusted to effect the desired result.

My present invention has for its object the production of simple and elfective means for Serial No. 162,474. (No model.)

overcoming the objections referred to and to surely prevent filling replenishment if the shuttle-feeler engages the shuttle, no matter how slight such engagement may be.

The various novel features of my invention will be described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure l is a top or plan view of the righthand end of a loom-lay, its shuttle-box, and the shuttlefeeler in normal position embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the lay as nearly forward and the feeler as having begun its feeling movement, the shuttle being shown as far enough out of the box to engage the feeler. Fig. 3 is an enlarged right-handside elevation of the end of the feeler and its tip. Fig. ft is a longitudinal section thereof on the line 4 4, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the tip-holderand the tip separated from each other.

The lay A3, automatically self-threading shuttle S, adapted to receive a filling-carrier h, the upturned arm Y, fulcrumed on the stud at on a bracket A10, secured on the loom side AX and having a finger n', the pin 30 on arm Y, and the arm di?, fast on the controlling or operating rock-shaft d, may be and are all substantially as in United States Patent No. 683,423. A spring S (see dotted lines, Figs. l and 2) is fxedly held at one end and at its other end is attached to the arm dw, holding the latter down against pin 30 and normally maintaining the arm Y and its attached parts in retracted inoperative position, the fillingreplenishing mechanism, which may be of the type illustrated in said patent, being governed as to its operation by the rock-shaft d', as vtherein provided for. Turning of the rock-shaft in the direction o'f arrow 50 upon filling failure or upon substantial exhaustion of the filling in the shuttle effects the opertion of the replenishing mechanism in Wellknown manner. The arm Y insaid patent is bent rearwardly at its upper end to constitute a shuttle-feeler y, and when filling replenishment is called for the lifting of the arm d12 permits the arm Y and the shuttle-feeler y to rock rearwardly on stud ct as a fulcrum to extend across the lay in front of the mouth of the shuttle-box. If the shuttle is properly boxed, replenishment is effected; but if the feeler engages the projecting end of the shuttle at the box-mouth (indicating that the shuttle is not properly positioned) the operation of the replenishing mechanisnris prevented by or through the finger n and the devices (not herein shown) with which it coperates.

To prevent the failure of the feeler to properly act, as hereinbefore referred to, when the shuttle is improperly positioned, I have provided the feeler with a movable tip so constructed that if it engages with the shuttle even to a very slight extent it will turn in such manner that the area of contact between the tip and the shuttle will be very materially increased. This acts to retain the feeler in proper engagement with the shuttle to prevent iilling replenishment and completely obviates any tendency of the feeler to spring laterally or slide away from the shuttle, and thereby permit replenishment. It will be understood that at such time the feeler as a whole will yield slightly as the lay beats up, swinging on its fulcrum a.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the rearwardlyextended feeler y has an elongated slot y' to receive a bolt 5, passed through a tip-holder y2, a nut 6 securely clamping the latter to the feeler. The tip-holder (shown separately in Fig. 5) consists of a dat plate having an overhanging liange ys on its upper edge to tit into a cut-away part l0, Fig. 3, of the upper edge of the feeler y, the iiange preventing the tipholder from turning on the bolt. Parallel Years g4 project laterally from the plate, the

end of the flange near the upper ear being concaved, as at yf', concentric with holes 12 in the ears in alinement with each other, the ears being set in from the upper and lower edges of the plate, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The feeler-tip, as herein shown, is preferably madeas a casting and comprises a body portion t, having a longitudinally-convex outer face t and parallel substantially circular ears t2, extended from the opposite face of the body at one end and at right angles thereto. The ears have central alined holes t3, Fig. 5, and are far enough apart to easily receive between them the ears @/4 of the tipholder, a pivot-pin 20, extended through the holes inV the two sets of ears, pivotally connecting the tip with the tip-holder, the upper ear t2 fitting into the concaved end @f5 of the flange. A spring 3X is coiled around the pin between the ears of the tip, one end of the spring resting against the tip-holder between its ears, while its other end is positioned in a notch 22 in the flat face t4 of the tip between the ears, as shown in Fig. 3. The spring is so wound that normally the tipis held in the position shown in Figs. l and 2 and full-line position, Fig. 4, the upright inner corner of the face t4 engaging the end of the tip-holder. Now when the feeler y is swung rearwardly on the fulcrum a when the filling is to be replenished the tip-holder and tip will move across the lay in front of the mouth of the adjacent shuttle box BX as the lay beats up, provided the shuttle is properly boxed, and iilling replenishing will then be edected. Should the shuttle be improperly positioned, however, so that its point extends beyond the mouth of the box and into the path ofthe tip, as shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines, Fig. 4, the completion of the forward movement of the lay will cause the tip to engage the shuttle and the tip will be turned on its fulcrum 20 into dotted-line position, Fig. 4. It will be seen that this turning of the tip will presentagreater area of contact between its convex face t and the shuttle, so that the feeler cannot by any possibility be sprung or pushed sidewise to slip or slide past the shuttle-point, and the feeler as a whole will be retracted or yield and prevent the operation of the replenishing mechanism in well-known manner. When the tip is turned, as has been described, the dat faces 3 of the ears g4 engage the face t4 of the tip and serve as stops to limit its turning movement, so that then the tip is substantially rigid with the feelerarm Y. So long as there is any engagement of the tip with the shuttle, no matter how slight, the tip will be turned and its contact area with the shuttle increased to operate as has been described. As theouter end ot' the tip is normally offset from its fulcrum 20 and at the outer side thereof or toward the shuttle-box, the yielding movement of the tip relatively to the feeler will occur when the shuttle is improperly boxed. The tip-holder can be adjusted on the feeler-arm by means of the bolt 5 and slot y'.

Myinvention is notrestricted to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described, as the same may be modified or rearranged in various particulars without de- IOO IIO

parting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom, the lay provided with a shuttle-box, a shuttle, a movable shuttle-feeler to detect improper positioning of the shuttle in the shuttle-box, and a tip yieldingly mounted on the feeler, to engage the shuttle when the latter is improperly positioned.

2. In a loom, the lay provided with a shuttlebox, a shuttle, a shuttle-feeler movable across the lay in front of the mouth of the shuttlebox when the shuttle is properly positioned therein, and a laterally and yieldingly movable tip mounted on the feeler, to engage the shuttle when the latter is improperly positioned. Y

3. In a loom, the lay provided with a shuttlebox, a shuttle, a movable shuttle-feeler to detect improper positioning of the shuttle in the shuttle-box, a tip movable with and also relatively to the feeler, to engage the shuttle when improperly positioned, and means to limit such relative movement of the tip when so engaged.

4. In aloom, the lay provided with a shuttlebox, a shuttle, a movable shuttle-feeler to detect improper positioning ofthe shuttle in the shuttle box, and a springcontrolled tip mounted on the feeler and movable by engagement with the shuttle to increase the area of contact between it and the tip and insure the detecting action of the feeler when the shuttle is improperly positioned.

5. In a loom, the lay provided with a shuttlebox, a shuttle, a movable shuttle-feeler to detect improper positioning of the shuttle in the shuttlebox, and a tip yieldingly mounted on the feeler and having a convex face to engage the shuttle when the latter is improperly positioned in. the shuttle-box.

6. In aloom, the lay provided with a shuttlebox, a shuttle, a shuttle-feeler movable across the lay in front of the mouth of the shuttlebox when the shuttle is properly positioned therein, a shuttle-engaging tip yieldingly mounted on the feeler, and means to adjust the tip thereon.

7. In a loom, the lay provided with a shuttlebox, a shuttle, a sh uttle-feeler movable across the lay in front of the mouth of the shuttlebox when the shuttle is properly positioned therein, a shuttle-engaging tip having a oonvex contact-face and pivotally mounted on the feeler to move laterally relatively thereto, a spring to retain the tip in normal position,

and means to limit its pivotal movement relatively to the feeler.

8. In aloom, thelay provided with ashuttlebox, a shuttle, a shuttle-feeler movable across the lay in front of the mouth of the shuttlebox when the shuttle is properly positioned therein, a shuttle engaging tip pivotally mounted on the feeler and having its free end laterally offset from its fulcrum, and a controlling-spring for the tip.

9. In aloom, the lay provided with a shuttlebox, a shuttle, a movable shuttle-feeler to detect improper positioning of the shuttle in the shuttle-box, and a relatively movable tip on the feeler, to engage the shuttle When the latter is improperly positioned in the shuttlebox.

IO. In a loom, the lay provided With a shuttle-box, a shuttle, a movable shuttle-feeler to detect improper positioning of the shuttle in the shuttle-box, and a relatively movable tip on the feeler having its extremity offset from the path of movement of the feeler toward the shuttle-box, to engage and be moved by the shuttle relatively to the feeler when the shuttle is improperly positioned in the shuttlebox.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subsoribin g witnesses.

f ISAAC SNOW.

W'itnesses:

CHRISTOPHER N. WILsoN, DUNCAN Woon. 

